


What love can do

by Zyrann



Series: SuperDucks! [4]
Category: Darkwing Duck (Cartoon 1991), DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, Hanahaki Disease, Jealousy, Jim Starling POV, M/M, Murder, Parent Donald Duck, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:54:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24737257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zyrann/pseuds/Zyrann
Summary: Jim got the hanahaki decease.
Relationships: Drake Mallard/Launchpad McQuack, Launchpad McQuack/Jim Starling
Series: SuperDucks! [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1737037
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	What love can do

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote an epilogue cause i wanted to write L.P. feelings, but maybe it's a little odd, let me know. 
> 
> Any criticism is welcome, and all your kudos, bookmarks and comments mean a lot to me QwQ

The storm was upon him, and somewhere around he could hear the helicopters and the sirens. He knew they were looking for him once again, that his name was once more spoken in all the media, the tv showed his face and everybody knew him, but this time wasn’t for something good. From his hands dripped blood diluted slightly by the rain, in one of them he held the knife. The front of his yellow suit was stained a deep red in different patterns and his face was shielded from water and light only by his hat.

He tried to clear his throat before knocking but It became a violent cough that made him spit blood and a full blossom now. There was no more time to hesitate. He didn’t even knock, just took the doorknob and opened the door, not surprised at all that it was unlocked.

It was past midnight and all lights were out, but somewhere he could see the faint light of a t.v. and could hear the theme of his show. His beak drew a smile even with all the pain he was feeling, after all this years there was still one person who cared.

Jim regrets many things by this moment, he regrets not taking more papers cause he wouldn’t be the lead, he regrets the hold that Darkwing suit had in him, he regret what he just did, but mostly he regrets not noticing L.P. sooner.

He walked trough the garage leaving a trail of mud and blood from his feet towards the light, to the familiar sound and the comfort of the past. He wondered how was he so broken, what caused it.

Every time they faced before, Launchpad, instead of fighting, he tried to talk, he always saw him with sad eyes, he always lend a hand. It started a couple of weeks earlier. He thought it was a cold, nothing to worry about, he brushed it off for days. Then he coughed a tiny petal. He couldn’t overlook it anymore, the sickness nor his feelings. The pain grew in his lungs and all around his chest the last two days faster than he could imagine. Sometimes he felt he couldn’t even breathe.

And yet the feeling that seemed to rule his mind was anger, envy. He though he would have one last chance to get Launchpad back, even for a little while, and he was going to take it. He took some painkillers that by this point really did nothing for him but a placebo effect which mixed with adrenaline and determination. As soon as the sun set he laid a trap, he robed some jewelry where he knew Darkwing duck would be patrolling and lured him to the back ally. Looked like a filling episode of a bad police show, but apparently worked. It was too far from LP current whereabouts and it would be easier to chase him by himself, and that was Drake’s biggest mistake.

When Jim came to senses he was covered in someone else’s blood, his knife had left many marks in the suit and white feathers of the new Darkwing that now poured blood on the street. He didn’t know how long all of this took, but the jewelry alarm had attracted the cops and they would surround him soon. He started to flee, coughing roughly thanks to the exhaustion that all the physical effort of his previous actions caused, barfing bigger pieces of flowers and even some leaves on the way, all covered in both Drake’s and his own blood.

He could feel the roots under his skin ever so slowly crawling around his back, he didn’t know how much time left could have before the end of it all, so he wouldn’t waist a second.

And now he has inside the manor of the richest duck in the world and he was going to perish there. The irony of the achievement every other of McDuck’s enemies will envy made him chuckle. He managed the unmanageable, but he wasn’t there to steal anything nor to cause any harm, at least not on purpose.

The sound of his laugh made Launchpad turn. His face went pale and Jim was heartbroken that apparently he was the only one who wasn’t watching the news and instead of any anger or disappointment he was worried, believing Jim was hurt.

“Oh, boy, are you injured? What happened?” He exclaimed looking for a first aid kit. The roots grew tighter in his heart as he slowly laughed, tears pooling in his eyes and dripping down his cheeks.

Launchpad ran when he heard him coughing and held him before he fell to the floor, taking him kindly in, holding a flower between his fingers, staining his white feathers and the hem of his leather jacket with the blood that covered the blossom. “What Is this?”

Jim had rehearsed a million scenarios in his mind but none like this. Why couldn’t he be angry? Why did he had to be so nice to him even If he knew he had done nothing to deserve this kind of treatment? “Why…” he murmured between sights, coughs, tears and chuckles. His sight was totally blurred and felt Launchpad guiding him till they reached the couch, here he even took the bother to lay him down. “Why are you doing this? Why don’t you give up on me?!” He was so frustrated that he was yelling now in the mess he was made.

“Well, I can’t let you to bleed in the ground, I’m your biggest fan”

His eyes grew wider trying to see the redhead’s face, the branches reached already his throat choking his words “I…” What was he saying? Was he really going to say I fucking love you? That made no sense, he wanted to tell him everything he had done but his breath wouldn’t be enough, the flowers were almost completely out. At this point he realized there was only one thing he could say, and he meant it more than anything he had ever said in his entire life “I’m so sorry.” The words came out carrying with them the beautiful pink flowers. The air didn’t reach his lungs anymore, he could feel his heart pounding in his chest struggling for a lost cause.

But a little part of him was happy, he felt in peace for the first time in heavens know how long, he knew the lame apology he muttered wasn’t enough in comparison to his crimes, but he got to said it to the person he cared the most for, and he got to see his kind face as his life reached it’s end. It wasn’t fair but he didn’t regret it. He tried his best to control his body, just his back arched in pain as his sight darkened slowly. The last thing he felt was the warmth of the pelican embracing him.

* * *

Launchpad knew Drake’s fate a few hours after, when the police cleaned up. As a favor, Fenton made his mom take care of the case and he spent the whole night with him, feeling the lost as a fellow superhero. Launchpad was quiet and still, nobody had ever seeing him like that and all his family was worried.

By the morning they all showed up to pick them both up and Beakley made breakfast. He ate half his regular ration and retire to sleep. McDuck had already prepared him a room inside the manor where he could stay as long as he wanted to. He woke up by sunset and walked to the backyard, he took seat at the tire swing Donald hung for the children.

“Would you like a push?” He turned to see Donald and with a nostalgic smile he nodded. The he felt the duck hand’s at his back making the tire go back and forth.

“Are you feeling better?”

“I guess… I don’t really know what to feel.”

“You can feel anything”

“I… I just wish I knew, I wish I could have save them”

“Oh, no, you shouldn’t put that over you. You made your best all the time, and I’m sure they’re proud of you, just like the rest of us.”

Launchpad stop the swing with his feet and turn to hug the duck, crying on his sailor suit, he felt the duck stroking his back slowly to comfort him, it was warm and sweet, like a father does to his kids. They stood there as long as it took him to stop the tears. When that happened Donald took his hand with the same care.

“Let’s have dinner, I’ll make pancakes”

He smiled and followed. He will be alright, and he’s heroes will always protect him.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanna thank HappyGirl282 for the support while writing this and all the help QwQ


End file.
